The Battle of the Alaxxes Nebula was an engagement that took place between the bulk of the Space Wolves fleet and the bulk of the Traitor Alpha Legion fleet within the vast, highly corrosive dust and hydrogen ice cloud fields of the Alaxxes Nebula in 007.M31, during the early years of the Horus Heresy.
As the Space Wolves were still licking their wounds following their heavy losses during the Burning of Prospero, they were ambushed by a sizable Alpha Legion strike force and were subsequently routed at Yarant.
Primarch Leman Russ organised a tactical retreat and fled towards the Alaxxes Nebula to seek temporary sanctuary. The Alpha Legion gave chase and soon the VIth Legion found themselves in a precarious predicament, effectively cut-off and surrounded by the bulk of the Alpha Legion.
After contacting the nearby White Scars fleet, who refused to assist the Space Wolves, Russ faced the prospect of imminent destruction. Yet, by dint of sheer luck, or perhaps providence, the Space Wolves received help from an unexpected quarter -- from a contingent of Dark Angels hidden deep within the core of the nearly impassable clouds of the Alaxxes Nebula.
History[]
Following the Burning of Prospero, Leman Russ ordered his battered VIth Legion to muster within the Alaxxes Nebula. But unknown to the Wolf King, Horus had deployed the XXth Legion to launch a massive assault on Russ' battered and outnumbered Space Wolves.
The Alpha Legion and its twin primarchs, Alpharius Omegon, had long harboured a deep grudge against the Space Wolves, and Russ in particular, for his criticism of their reliance upon trickery, manipulation and subterfuge to win battles rather than engaging in what the Space Wolves primarch saw as honourable, open combat.
The Alpha Legion relished the chance to prove their superiority against the arrogant Wolves of Fenris by delaying them long enough to keep them from contributing to the Imperial defence of Terra. Russ sent a distress call to the nearby White Scars, requesting that his brother primarch Jaghatai Khan send his forces in order to assist the beleaguered VIth Legion against the traitorous Alpha Legion.
Unsure as to which side the Space Wolves truly served, the Khagan sympathised with his brother primarch's predicament, but refused to get involved until he was able to sort out the conflicting and often contradictory astropathic messages he had received concerning the revolt against the Emperor. Until he knew, beyond a shadow of doubt, who was an ally and who was an enemy, he refused to choose sides. Wishing his brother the best of luck, Jaghatai sought to seek answers to his questions elsewhere.
First Captain Gunnar Gunnhilt of the Space Wolves Legion during the Horus Heresy.
Realising that the VIth Legion faced a hopeless situation, Russ was demoralised and isolated himself within his personal chambers, forcing his First Captain Gunnar Gunnhilt, aboard the battleship Ragnorok, to assume command in his primarch's absence.
Ruminating upon the role the Emperor had forced upon him, Russ received counsel from Bjorn 'The One-Handed', a young pack leader in Tra Company (3rd Great Company) who had risen in much esteem since the conflict on Prospero. He helped his primarch come to terms with his past as the "Emperor's Executioner," realising it had done nothing but brought ruin upon the Vlka Fenryka. Meanwhile, Gunnhilt led the Space Wolves fleet in a desperate breakout attempt.
Harried at every turn, the Space Wolves' fleet faced imminent destruction by the larger Alpha Legion fleet. Reinvigorated by the reemergence of the Wolf King, First Captain Gunnhilt and his crew sold their lives dearly in order to help slow the Alpha Legion advance, but unfortunately the Alpha Legion fleet was still able to catch the limping Space Wolves ships.
During the height of the ensuing void battle, a large contingent of elite Cataphractii-armoured Lernaean Terminators teleported aboard the bridge of Russ' flagship, Hrafnkel, where the Wolf King battled Alpharius seemingly disguised as one of his own Laernaean Terminators.
As the Alpha Legion were on the verge of ultimate victory, help arrived from an unexpected quarter, in the form of a large Dark Angels fleet led by a mobile Ramilies-class Starfort, the Chimaera, which had heard the Space Wolves' distress signals and determined that the VIth Legion were in fact still loyal to the Emperor. With the assistance of their Ist Legion cousins, the Space Wolves were able to force the Alpha Legion to withdraw.
In the battle's aftermath, the Wolf King and a contingent of his most trusted warriors sought audience with the Dark Angels' commander, Chapter Master Althalos, who was still ostensibly loyal to the Regent of Caliban, Luther. He informed the primarch that his fleet had been despatched 59 standard years earlier, in 948.M30, before the outbreak of the Horus Heresy, by Luther, in order to conquer worlds and establish outposts.
The Dark Angels hidden within the Alaxxes Nebula had been completely unaware of the eruption of the galaxy-wide rebellion or Luther's corruption back home on Caliban. At some point they had received fragments of information -- the Space Marine Legions were now at war with each other, rumours of the Isstvan III Atrocity -- but they had no clear view of who was now a Loyalist or Traitor. Therefore, they chose to be cautious when approaching the Space Wolves before revealing themselves.
During the battle, one of the Dark Angels' officers, Captain Ormand, had secretly infiltrated the Wolf King's flagship in order to determine if the Space Wolves were still loyal to the Emperor. His duplicity was discovered by Rune Priest Kva, who brought him before Russ. Seeing the Space Wolves valiantly battle the treacherous Alpha Legion, Ormand determined the VIth Legion were still loyal and informed his commander of their intent.
The Dark Angels had then intervened on the Space Wolves' behalf and helped rout the Traitor fleet. In exchange for warriors and matériel from the Dark Angels, the Wolf King gave a full accounting of Warmaster Horus' treachery and the view of the wider events of the Horus Heresy that had, thus far, played out across the galaxy. Saddened by the news, Chapter Master Althalos decided to lead his forces back towards Caliban while Russ set course for Terra, and the inevitable showdown with his treacherous brother, Horus.
Sources[]
- Scars (Novel) by Chris Wraight
- Wolf King (Novella) by Chris Wraight
- The Horus Heresy: Legions (Video Game)
| Battles of the Horus Heresy | |
|---|---|
| 004-006.M31 | First Battle of Prospero • Istvaan III Atrocity • War Within the Webway • Battle of the Somnus Citadel • Unrest on Caliban • Schism of Mars • Battle of Diamat • Drop Site Massacre • Battle of the Rangda System • First Battle of Paramar • Battle of the Coronid Deeps • Signus Campaign • Treachery at Advex-Mors • Siege of Cthonia |
| 007-008.M31 | Battle of Phall • Battle of Ravendelve • Battle of the Alaxxes Nebula • Siege of the Perfect Fortress • Chondax Campaign • Second Battle of Prospero • First Siege of Hydra Cordatus • Battle of the Furious Abyss • Battle of Calth • Battle of Armatura • Shadow Crusade • Percepton Campaign • Battle of Iydris • Thramas Crusade • Fall of Baztel III • Battle of Vannaheim • Second Battle of Paramar • Battle of Constanix II • Siege of Epsilon-Stranivar IX • Treachery at Port Maw • Manachean War • Mezoan Campaign • Battle of Bodt • Battle of Dwell • Battle of Molech |
| 009-010.M31 | Xana Incursion • Carnage of Morox • Sangraal Campaign • Liberation of Numinal • Battle of Arissak • Battle of Perditus • Battle of Sotha • Scouring of Gilden's Star • Battle of Nyrcon • Battle of Tallarn • Battle of Nocturne • Battle of Pluto |
| 011-014.M31 | Lorin Alpha Campaign • Subjugation of Tyrinth • Malagant Conflict • Battle of the Kalium Gate • Battle of Catallus • Battle of Tralsak • Tarren Suppression • Balthor Sigma Intervention • Scouring of the Ollanz Cluster • Battle of Zepath • Battle of Anuari • Battle of Pyrrhan • Second Battle of Davin • Battle of Trisolian • Battle of Yarant • Battle of Krade • Battle of Deluge • Battle of Heta-Gladius • Battle of the Aragna Chain • Battle of Kalleth • Battle of the Diavanos System • Battle of Desperation • Battle of Beta-Garmon • Defence of Ryza • Battle of Thagria • Passage of Angels • Thassos Incident • Battle of Zhao-Arkhad • Serpent's Coil • Siege of Barbarus • Battle of Vezdell • Burning of Vrexor • Dawn of Desolation • Death of Chemos • Battle of Luth Tyre • Ydursk Incident • Solar War • Raid on Luna • Siege of Terra • Great Scouring |